The Oilers have signed Ben Scrivens to a two-year extension worth a total of $4.6 million.

Scrivens will be at $2.3 million cap hit, and It will be interesting to see who the Oilers sign to battle/platoon with him next season.

Scrivens still leads the NHL in SV% amongst goalies who have started more than 20 games. Scrivens has a .934SV% split between Edmonton (.940) and LA (.931).

He is in his 4th season as a pro.

He split his first year between the ECHL (13 games) and the AHL (33). The next two years he was in Toronto, 61 games in the AHL with the Marlies and 32 games with the Maple Leafs.

This is his first season where he has spent all his time in the NHL and he has put up great numbers.

I've read and heard many suggest he is a career backup, but I think that might be a tad premature to say. He has improved every season, and each year he has played more games in the NHL and his SV% has improved during each campaign.

This is a great contract for the Oilers. Scrivens should be extremely motivated to earn the starting job, and his price point could make him one of the best bargains in the NHL if he wins the job.

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Pretty sure Scrivens wasn't signed so they could try to move him before Wednesday, thats rediculous.

I'm a little confused by your comment.

Your term "pretty sure", must mean he's in that untouchable category for you now I guess, eh?

I'm also "pretty sure" Ben would be a throw in if it helped MacTavish bring in a top pairing blueliner. Ben is just the next in line to benefit from that hopeful label that Dubey hid behind these last 5 yrs. Time will tell. He just buys MacTavish a little more time.

Your question ignores the obvious fact that until this year Dubnyk's numbers were very good while playing behind a very bad team.

His 0.920 SV% last year was 14th in the NHL tying him with Ben Bishop. Would you really have been foolish enough to put that on waivers last year?

I don't think it's an obvious fact that a lot, and I mean a lot of people, I know and a lot of people on this site have been calling for the removal of Dubnyk for not just this year, but from the start of the 2012-13 campaign.

I wasn't one of them, but I am willing to acknowledge that they saw some things that weren't so obvious to me....and you.

My point is that the Oilers have had a fair amount of difficulty evaluating talent at the pro scouting level the last couple years and I'm wondering if evaluation is more difficult in the cesspool that is a 30th place team.

Brian Burke has said many times, mediocre talent can look top six capable on a poor team.

The reason most people talk about trading him for anything, over re-signing him, is that local media has so far hinted that he has no intention of re-signing here. The general concensus is that he walks at the end of the season, due to the fact he is a top 6 player, and we don't have room in our top 6 for him. If he wanted to stay, he'd have to sign for 3rd line money and ice time. He'll make more elsewhere.

Poor asset management was signing him at 5M for two more years. That is on Tambi & Lowe. That contract crippled MacT from moving him last summer. Trade him and lets move on. This sentimental crap is getting old.

You're right....and I'm glad you pointed it out....because I've been a strong supporter of MacT for years and continue to do so.

Actually since that BUTT Tambellini left Dubnyks days were numbered. Mac new he was garbage and was trying desperately to get a goalie last summer. Didnt take.him long at all to make the change between the pipes.

Now all he has to do is sign some sokid #2,3,4 dmen, trade Hemsky, Nshultz for spare parts. Then in the off season trade Gagner and Eberle for a solid #2 C / big winger (Simmonds). And draft Ekblad. Im cautiously optomistic as long as mac has the balls to trade gags and eberle

I see a lot of CUJO in Scrivens. He battles hard and never gives upon the play. The thing I like is he has a Grant Fuhr mentality. He does not give up the soft goal that kills the team.
His attitude is near perfect. I don't know whar more we could ask. As the teams defence improves we'll see a definite increase in wins. Scrivens gives the team a chance to win.

As for as IB goes what has he done wrong since signing as an Oiler. He has been solid. I would sign him too. His attitude has been solid.The situation for him here is perfect. He has shown he is capable goalie. I hope MacT resigns him.

Yeah....Scrivens is an athletic, quick reflexes, never say die type of goalie.....Dubnyk was a larger play the angles and let the puck hit you type of goalie...... But puck didn't hit him often enough.

I don't think it's an obvious fact that a lot, and I mean a lot of people, I know and a lot of people on this site have been calling for the removal of Dubnyk for not just this year, but from the start of the 2012-13 campaign.

I wasn't one of them, but I am willing to acknowledge that they saw some things that weren't so obvious to me....and you.

My point is that the Oilers have had a fair amount of difficulty evaluating talent at the pro scouting level the last couple years and I'm wondering if evaluation is more difficult in the cesspool that is a 30th place team.

Brian Burke has said many times, mediocre talent can look top six capable on a poor team.

I always maintained Dubnyk would be good enough to make the playoffs but never good enough to challenge for the Cup.

But his numbers were good enough that he had to be part of the conversation. I think this year's performance was Dubnyk buckling mentally under the pressure.

I do think talent evaluation is more difficult for a 30th place team because so many players are forced to play above their head. None of the D should be playing top pair minutes/competition but you have to put someone out there and they aren't going to look that good against the best F in the game. It skews the perspective.

Why do we laud any signings or trades here in Edmonton? Scrivens is not a number one guy as of today nor has he be given the contract of one but it shows he wants to try and make it work here. He has already stolen a game or two which you want and need from your goalies. People wonder why players dont wanna come here, there are some just as guilty as Lowe and Co in adding to their hesitation. Bottom line is hes a hungry player and after being disposed of twice in the past year dont you think he wants to settle things down? He has the commitment and the rest is now up to him in order to create his destiny. Crap the bed and hes packing his bags again, rise up and hes on the upswing with a young team.

Rumour has the Oilers pursuing Markov (and likely a big overpay on a 3-year contract). I'm supportive as there just isn't anything else available for LD that can fill the role. This to me is a necessary stop gap until Nurse is ready for the big assignments.

I could see the Oilers going after Spezza, or trading the pick for a C who can play on the top 2 lines. Gagner won't cut it, and Draisaitl or Bennett or Reinhart aren't the answer for the next two seasons.

You can't let Perfect be the enemy of the good. I'd take Markov or Erhoff or Meyers or whoever the heck we can get.......the pursuit of perfection often results in no change at all.

Having said that.....Go get Dustin Byfuglien MacT!

Get someone because our young guns development is suffering because of the lack of supporting cast and experienced mentors.

I'd also like our players to show up drunk. Not happy, party drunk. Angry, violent drunk. The kind of drunk where someone has to pay the price. Violent, angry steroid using drunk. Throw a little dab of speed in there too. No fear, take no prisoners..

Brian Elliot played for the Sens for almost 3 years and then traded to Avs for Anderson. At that time, it was considered a swap of garbage. At the end of that season, Avs decided to let him walk UFA. His stats were terrible and nobody at that time thought he would be good enough to be even a backup. Blues picked him up dirt cheap that offseason as their backup and he turned his career around.

Mike Smith played 4 seasons in Tampa. Other than one season at .916, his SV% was never bettern .900. He signed with the Coyotes in 2011 as their backup and turned around his career.

Other than his rookie season, Dubnyk has been an average goalie behind the worst defense 3 years in a row. His SV% is .914 and better. This is his only bad season so far.

So who do you think is worse comparing Brian Elliot in 2010-11, Mike Smith in 2010-11, and Dubnyk this season?

Not saying that Dubnyk can turn around his career like Smith and Elliot cause there are many who can't. But there is also no reason to believe that Dubnyk can't since there are some who can. One bad season is not enough to judge.

I hear ya....but St Louis just paid BIG for Miller, so what does that say about Elliot..and I'm sure Mike Smith carried a price tag higher than $550,000 moving from Tampa to Pheonix....(Mike Smith was a primary piece in a trade that sent Brad Richards to Dallas when Richards was still considered a superstar)...also note that in both cases the goaltender in question went from a crappy defensive team to a solid defensive team.....with Scrivens the reverse is true.
(Edit: perhaps there is a good omen here.....when Scrivens had his record setting night with Oilers in a 59 save shutout, the record he broke belonged to..............Mike Smith.)

Hemsky has spoken more the media (and fans) in the last week than in his entire stay here. All his quotes make it pretty clear he is just waiting to get out of here. He has no intention of resigning, so getting anything for him will be better than getting nothing for him.

I guarantee he is trying to resign Hemsky and has been for most of the season. If Hemsky doesn't want to resign, MacT cannot force him to. Getting anything for a UFA is better than getting nothing. How is any of that "brutal asset management"?

Paying top 6 money to a 3rd liner(here) is brutal asset management. That is what Hemsky makes now and will surely want to keep on making, and will make if he goes to UFA. What say you?

It will be really interesting to see what Hemsky gets on the open market this summer. He has been producing at a 3rd line level for the last 5 or so years. His days of getting 1st line salary for 3rd line performance are likely at an end.

This was probably mentioned already but only about an hour after the Scrivens signing was announced, Dubnyk was place on waivers. I'd say that Mactavish had a good day when he essentially dealt Dubnyk and a 3rd rounder for Scrivens and Hendricks. Good for Scrivens and if he is our starter then he will be a bargain at 2.3 per season. Good deal, we didn't overpay for a short sample size and the term is just right.

I don't know, Gord, there's lots of competition there for the worst thing KLowe has done.Failing to address center depth, failing to recognize what a pro d-man looks like, fostering a losing culture in order to draft skill, and then being unable to develop that skill, presiding over a parade of coaches without building a stable development strategy, trading away draft picks for bottom six forwards and 5-6 dmen. And failng to sign a number one goalie. Take your pick

The generally accepted wisdom is that you build from the net out. that has not been KLOWE and co.'s MO.

I dont thnik any of the items would being addressed would have won more games than a top flight goalie would have over the past six years (imagine if we had gotten niemi when we had the chance...)

Rumour has the Oilers pursuing Markov (and likely a big overpay on a 3-year contract). I'm supportive as there just isn't anything else available for LD that can fill the role. This to me is a necessary stop gap until Nurse is ready for the big assignments.

I could see the Oilers going after Spezza, or trading the pick for a C who can play on the top 2 lines. Gagner won't cut it, and Draisaitl or Bennett or Reinhart aren't the answer for the next two seasons.

I guess that all depends on whether the plan behind closed doors is to go after McDavid. It's all too obvious that the fans don't matter to this organizatoin. What's one more year to Lowe or Katz. The coffers are full and with the new building coming I can actually see them looking at this angle.

I think the assumption at this point is that Nurse and Klefbom both end up as top 4 D-men for the club with hopefully at least one of them as a legit top pairing guy. I also think the hope is the Jultz turns into a top pairing guy as well. The bad news is that these guys turning into legit NHL D-men isn't something that is going to happen in the immediate future. So looks like a few more years of rebuilding, aka MacT has about 3 years to find us a 2C and another D-man.

Listen GENIOUS, watch which NHL team picks up RAZOR FRAZER MCLAREN - it will be a team that is more successful than us! The kid can play, is super tough, a BC boy and will be an effective member of a western division team for man years to come- is he even 25 yet? A great 12/13 forward for any team- why not us????????????? MacT is doing great things, however, the Oil could have had McGrattan, Sestito and previously McLaren for nothing off of waivers in the last couple of years! Instead we have to put up with way over the hill Smytty and big fairies/fake toughies/fly by non-hitters like Jones/Joensuu on our fourth line. Sestito/Gazdic/Mclaren would be a very good 4TH line!!!!!VERY GOOD - ALL PURPOSE-TRUCULENT!!!!!!!!!!! Sestito and Gazdic can even kill penalties!!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

Hate to state the obvious flaw in your thinking WONGER. but unless its the Sabres every other team is more successful then us.

Hate to state the obvious flaw in your thinking WONGER. but unless its the Sabres every other team is more successful then us.

As for the Markov rumor, are their any links??

You know I am a well connected insider! Markov will be an Oiler by Wednesday 1 PM at the latest! Lander, and surprise, Big Steve MacIntyre, will be going the other way!!!!SSShhhhh!!!!!, don't spill the beans-beano!!!!!!

I'm sure it's been said a few times already, but this is a great, solid, fair signing. They learnt from their mistake when they signed Dubnyk and Bulin to long ish deals on more money then they should have received and it leaves the Oil with a lot of flexibility. 2.3 is fine as most teams seem to be spending between 4-8 mill for 2 goalies so another signing is still not gonna break the bank.

It's a good chance for him to be the number one, and I'm guessing by what his mindset seems to be, he realises it's all up to him to prove he is capable and he is smart enough to know what he needs to improve on.

I'm hoping that him signing also is a sign that MacT has some kind of plan to improve the team and that he actually sold it to Scrivens. He needs to get that D sorted though, if he can do that, I have a bit more hope.

I guarantee he is trying to resign Hemsky and has been for most of the season. If Hemsky doesn't want to resign, MacT cannot force him to. Getting anything for a UFA is better than getting nothing. How is any of that "brutal asset management"?

Paying top 6 money to a 3rd liner(here) is brutal asset management. That is what Hemsky makes now and will surely want to keep on making, and will make if he goes to UFA. What say you?

It's brutal in that Hemsky should have been moved at the deadline last year but management decided to keep him and make a push for the remainder of the season....they didn't want to send the wrong message to the team......of course the monumental end of season collapse occurred and the rest is history.

Getting a late second round pick for a talent like Hemsky is brutal no matter how much sunshine you blow out your ars!

It's brutal in that Hemsky should have been moved at the deadline last year but management decided to keep him and make a push for the remainder of the season....they didn't want to send the wrong message to the team......of course the monumental end of season collapse occurred and the rest is history.

Getting a late second round pick for a talent like Hemsky is brutal no matter how much sunshine you blow out your ars!

That's my humble opinion.

What say all of you!

A late second round pick is only for a few months of Hemsky. A few months that are at the end of another lost season for the Oilers.

Hemsky can still sign here this summer.Although I'm thinking there is about as much a chance of that as Lowe manning up and admitting he has pooched this team.

This was a reasonable deal for both parties. Scrivens will either be a cheap starter, or an expensive back up, but the 2 year term gives Oilers some breathing room. Can still pick up a 1B goalie and please not Dubnyk, or Reimer.

The other point is at this stage it makes no sense to have $5-6 million goalie with the rag tag defense that is on the ice.Waste of money,

Agreed, 100%. Look at miller in Buffalo. A number 1 goalie for a high price is a waste on thus team. Get the defenseman first

MACT PLEASE PICK UP FRAZER MCLAREN OFF OF WAIVERS.......4TH Line with Gazdic...... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!!......even if you have to waive Jones or Joensuu.......otherwise Burke is going to add him to go along with Trevor Gillies, McGrattan, Westgarth, Kanzig, Breen, etc. C'mon MacT you also need him for Vancouver games.... MacIntyre is probably going to retire at the end of the year.....he can even play a little bit....Eakins knows him well........C'mon MacT PLEEEAAAASSSSEEEEEEEEE!In our division ou can never have enough SIZE and TOUGHNESS!!!!!! PLEEAAASEEEE MACT PLEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If only they could land that Fredrick Andersson kid now from the Ducks. The Oil would go into next season with some actual hope in goal. Have to eat some crow on this Scrivens signing as well. Figured Ben would use the Oilers to try and drive up the price and go elsewhere during the summer.

If Ben is moved before Wednesday, he comes with a very affordable contract. There's probably half a dozen teams looking to add some depth in goal for when the real season starts.

Oiler Domination To Follow

I could see the oilers swapping the pick they get In the Hemsky trade for Viktor Fasth.

Markov and/or Erhoff are definitely plan B options. I'd shy away from those two based on injury history or just marshmallow'esque type play in Erhoffs case.

Best stick it out, grab Ekblad and take a shot at McDavid next summer. This sure looks to be Oiler managements gameplan. Stay the course.

Weber, Gudbranson and Myers, good. The rest not so much.

I agree that that appears to be the managements plan and that Markov, Erhoff, etc are plan B options. and I also don't think they are planning to give up their lottery pick this year. so plan B might be the best we can hope for at this point. We definitely need at least one plan B Dman to Mentor this young crew.

After his last three years it would have been foolish to waive him for nothing.

He had played okay, and he was paid like a goalie who had good games, but had yet to be a proven starter.

Having Pekka Rinne makes it easy to waive Dubnyk...

Yeah....no ones talking about waiving Dubnyk in 2012-2013, but a lot of people were questioning his ability to be a starter. I'm just curious if his evaluation time, he is 28 after all, is a symptom of a condition here in Edmonton wherein it's hard to evaluate players when there are SO many areas of weakness on the team?

Trading away Bryz for whatever you can get, be it some form of pick or whatever and them claiming Dubnyk on waivers. We're paying half of his salary already and he may as well sit around as our backup for the rest of the year until he hits free agency.

It'd be glorious, really. Traded him away for a piece sorely needed, get him back for free to be a backup in exchange for a goaltender we don't really want/who likely doesn't want to resign for yet another asset in return. Asset management++.